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Early Fishing Closures Waste Thousands of Fish by Jerry Gillette, Paul Idaho Statesman, July 30, 2008

The historic salmon season could have been better managed.

For the first time in 30 years we have had a salmon season on the upper Salmon, and just as the salmon fishing got good, the Fish and Game met its quota and the season closed with over 1,100 adults in the Sawtooth trap July 17. The broodstock goal posted on the Idaho Fish and Game Web site for the Sawtooth trap was 700 adults. After allowing 388 adult salmon to be harvested, the season closed. Another 2,000-plus fish have arrived in the trap the last eight days. With constant snagging of the 200 fish lying in front of the trap the last seven days since the season closed by the Indians the river is still full of salmon.

There are thousands of fish in excess of broodstock needs that will be wasted in the Sawtooth, Rapid River and Southfork hatcheries because of premature closings on these rivers. Countless thousands more have been netted in the Rapid River, speared on the South Fork and snagged on the upper Salmon with no accounting since the seasons closed by the different Indian tribes. Where is the accountability?

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Lake Wenatchee Open for Sockeye by Scott Sandsberry, Yakima Herald-Republic, 8/5/8